Controller for distribution of fluids in cities.



PATENTED MAY 22, 19076.

F. J. POVEAUX. CONTROLLER FOR DISTRIBUTION OF FLUIDS IN CITIES.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1905.

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No. 821,160. 7 PATEN'I'ED MAY 22, 1906.

F. J. FOVEAUX. CONTROLLER FOR DISTRIBUTION OF FLUIDS IN CITIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.6, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. FOVEAUX, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO MUTUAL GAS AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

CONTROLLER FOR DISTRIBUTION OF FLUIDS IN CITIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteol. May 22, 1906.

Applicati fil d March 6, 1905. Serial No. 248.461.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. FovEAUX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllers for the Distribution of Fluids in Cities, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a city fluid-distribution controller, the object of the invention being to provide an apparatus and a system by which fluids such as gas or water distributed through cities may be conveniently and effectually controlled, especially in case of emergencies.

With systems of city gas distribution at present in use great difficulties and losses are often experienced in case of fires owing to the impossibility of shutting off the gas-supply from the burning buildings. When the fire commences at the bottom of the building it is impracticable to get at the connections with the main, and it is also impracticable under such conditions to get at the main by digging up the street. Thus the burning gas increases the difliculty of controlling the fire, to say nothing of the loss of gas to the company. Similar considerations apply to the case of flooding by accidental breaking of a water-main or of breaking of pipes for other fluids-such as steam, compressed air, or oil. It is true that control may sometimes be obtained by cutting off the supply at a point far distant from the locality of the accident; but this involves very great inconvenience to the intermediate portions of the city.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for controlling the passage of fluids to any one or more blocks of the city without interfering with the supply to the sections unaffected by the fire, flood, or other accident.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a horizontal section of a four-way valve form ing a part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the cap being removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail vertical section of the valvegate. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the same. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of a city equipped with my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a union 01' valve casing having four Ways 2 at equal angular intervals for connecting with the main pipes 3 for gas, water, or other fluid. 4 represents the casing-cover, suitably secured to the casing and having a stuffing-box 5 for the passage of a vertical valve-stem 6, the foot of which turns in a socket 7 in the casing and which passes through a guideway 8, cast in a sleeve 9, and has a square end 10. It also has a pointer 11, which by its position relative to small knobs 12 on the guideway indicates the position of the valve. A cap 13 closes the sleeve, which latter should be made of such length that said cap is substantially flush with the street. Upon said stem are secured arms 15, which rock within sectorshaped holes 16 in the arms 17 of a yokeshaped valve-gate 18, said holes surrounding the valve-stem. The middle portion of said yoke-shaped gate is a portion of a cylinder to move in contact with the cylindrical wall of the casing. It covers about one-eighth of the circumference of said casing, and as the parts of the casing between the ways 2 are each slightly wider than the ways the gate when resting between the ways permits free passage of the fluid, while it may be moved over any one of the ways to cover the same, as shown in Fig. 1. To enable it to be opened against high-pressure fluids, there is provided in an opening 20 in the face of the gate or shutter 18 a small relief-valve 21, having a flange 22. The relief-valve 21 has a guidestem 23, which passes through an opening in a bracket 24, secured upon the under side of the gate 18. Said stem 23 is loosely pivoted to a lever 25, fulcrumed at 26 and pivotally attached to links 27, which are pivoted to arms 28, secured to the stem 6. A coiled spring 29, between a collar 19 on the stem 23 and a bracket 24, normally presses the reliefvalve 21 into its opening in the gate 18, this being assisted by the pressure from the pipes not closed by the valves. The gate itself is pressed against the casing by a coiled spring 31 around the stem 23 and between the bracket 24 and a shoe 32, resting against the stem 6, said shoe being attached to a casing 33 for the spring 31.

Supposing that the valve is closed and it is desired to open the same, the first effect of turning the stem is to withdraw the reliefvalve21 from its opening in the gate 18, thus relieving said gate of the pressure holding it I to the casing. During this movement the arms 15 move in the holes 16. When they reach the sides of said holes, they carry with them the gate 18, opening the valve. The position of the valve is indicated by the pointer 11 and the knobs 12. By means of this valve placed at the intersections of the main pipes the fluid can be cut off from any part of block, or from a whole block, or.

from several blocks quickly and conveniently without interfering with the supply of the fluid to adjacent parts of the city. This is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, in which represents the several blocks of a city and 41 the streets, the pipes 3 being shown diagrammatically in the streets. The valves are represented diagrammatically by small circles at the intersections of the pipes 3, and the closure of a valve to any ipe is indicated by a short line transverse y to said pipe and adjacent to the valve. It will be seen that with this arrangement should a fire occur, for instance, in a single house, as indicated by the heavily-hatched portion at 44, it is easy to cut off the passage of the gas to said house by closing the valves at the junctions with the next cross-pipes, as shown at 45 in said diagram. Should the fire eX- tend over several houses at a corner, as indicated at 46 in another part of the diagram, the passage of the gas can be cut off by shutting off the valves 47. In another part of the diagram the heavily-hatched portion 48 shows a whole block which is on fire on all sides. The gas in all the pipes surrounding the block may be cut off by shutting the valves indicated at 49. It is understood that any other fluid can be cut oif in like manner in case of accident. I

By means of this construction any portion of a city can easily'be brought under control by shutting off the pipes without interfering with the passage ofthe fluid to adjacent portions.

lclaim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical valve-casing having ways, a' stem arranged axially of the casing, arms secured upon said stem, a yoke-shaped valve-gate having sector-shaped holes in the arms of said yoke, said holes surrounding the valve-stem and the arms secured thereon, the middle portion of the yoke bein cylindrical in form to move in contact with t e cylindrical wall of the casing, the face of the gate having an opening therein, a relief-valve insaid opening, means operated by the movement of the stem for withdrawing said reliefvalve, the arms on the stem in their further movement being adapted to come into contact with the arms of the yoke-shaped gate to actuate the same, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of thecharacter described, the combination of a cylindrical casing having ways for connecting with main pipes, a stem arranged axially in said casing, arms secured to said stem to rock therewith, a yoke-shaped valve-gate, the arms of which have holes surrounding the valve-stem, the arms on the stem moving loosely in said holes, the face of the gate having an opening, a relief-valve in said opening having a flange and guide-stem, said guide-stem being suitably guided in the gate, a lever to which said stem is loosely pivoted, an arm extending from the stem from a link connecting said lever and arm, a coiled spring around the relief-valve stem pressing it outward, and a coiled spring for pressing the gate outward, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have'hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

F. J. FOVEAUX.

Witnesses: 1

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, BESSIE GORFINKEL. 

